Chan Foong Hin
KOTA KINABALU: The recent increase in Covid-19 cases Sabah is alarming with the 1,000 mark breached once again on July 30 with 1,066 cases.
The highest number of daily cases previously had been 1,199 on November 6 last year.
Medical expert Dato’ Dr Amar-Singh HSS of the Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun Ipoh had tweeted on July 30 that Sabah may be returning to the crisis levels they experienced last year, as Covid-19 cases and hospital admissions in Sabah are rising rapidly, mortality has risen 84% (first two weeks vs second two weeks of July), against the backdrop of Sabah has the lowest per population vaccine supply in the country.
Kota Kinabalu member of parliament Chan Foong Hin said last year in the aftermath of the Sabah State Elections, the federal government had deployed medical personnel and resources from other states to help Sabah with the increase in Covid-19 cases.
It is quite certain that such help will not be available this time around as resources are stretched thin everywhere else in the country and the government has less capacity to cope with in the first place.
According to the GRS Sabah government official spokesperson on Covid 19, Datuk Masidi Manjun, since Covid-19 is already in the community, lockdown is no longer the answer to contain the spread.
On the contrary, SOP compliance and vaccination rate would be the key to fighting the Covid-19 pandemic in Sabah, and that what Sabah needs is an adequate supply of the vaccine and an uninterrupted delivery schedule.
Chan said GRS might be correct in identifying the right solution out of the pandemic and endless cycles of lockdowns, namely SOP compliance vaccination. However, he said it is regrettable to say that the GRS has failed to see the urgency in implementing the solution rightfully.
Regarding SOP compliance, he said more and more people have voiced out against the half-baked SOP at EMCO areas.
The one-day gap time from announcement to enforcement had allowed people to move out of the area and escape the EMCO.
Furthermore, it seems that essential service workers can freely move in and out from an area put under EMCO.
Looks like putting an area under an EMCO is no longer efficient to contain the transmission of coronavirus, unless in-situ vaccination is carried out on the spot, he said in a statement on Saturday.
Chan opined that GRS’s aim to merely vaccinate 60% of the population in Sabah by October, which is three whole months from now, definitely would be too late.
“We need an operation for urgent vaccination, just like Operation Surge Capacity in Klang Valley which aims to inoculate all registered individuals aged 18 and above, with at least their first dose by August 1,” he stressed.
On the GRS Sabah Government allowing the private sector to purchase vaccine for their workers, Chan said it certainly is helpful, but it is not the core solution. The fundamental is the total vaccine supply to the state.
According to him, Operation Surge Capacity in Sabah would require private-public cooperation and such purchases and timely delivery for both would be crucial.
Under Operation Surge Capacity Sabah, firstly, Sabah should now aim at administering at least 60,000 dose per day. The initial targeted 30,000 doses per day capacity announced in June is only achieved after 21st July due to unfair distribution and late delivery of vaccine. There is no room for delay anymore, he pointed out.
Secondly, the GRS Sabah Government should take the initiative so as to improve and greatly increase vaccine supply to Sabah.
“To the Sabah Government, you should ask yourselves what can a state government do, like for example put your order for vaccine first, negotiate with the federal government to absorb the vaccine cost or logistical costs, etc. It is useless to pinpoint at your counterpart at the federal government only as federal also act based on supply, and it would be too late to demand for vaccine only after it arrives at KL from the manufacturers,” he said.
Thus far, Sabah has received around 1.8 million doses of vaccine according to Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin’s speech in parliament recently.
“I also understand that we are going to get 1.8 million doses of CanSino vaccine from Sinopharm and another 1.2 million doses of Pfizer vaccine in August itself. In ensuring supply, what’s Sabah further plan?”
Chan said there has been contradictory news on the media as Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor had previously said it will solely rely on federal, but at the same time Pharmaniaga Group Managing Director, Zulkarnain Md Eusope claimed Sabah has pre-ordered Sinovac vaccine from them.
So now, would GRS proceed with the order?
In total, we need to vaccinate 2.7 million of adults, out of 3.9 million population.
“As such, I would like to urge the GRS Sabah Government to no longer delay and urgently obtain a backup supply of vaccine from Pharmaniaga, as they have 14 million doses of stock available now.
“Besides that, it seems like the 2.7 million adult figure is excluding undocumented migrants living in Sabah. Even though we should prioritise vaccinating all Sabahans first, we will eventually have to deal with these undocumented migrants who are also humans capable of carrying and transmitting Covid-19.
“Neglecting these migrants from getting them vaccinated won’t make us win the battle against Covid-19. How to ensure that they will not infect our local Sabahans, especially when they mingle around our public spaces like markets? I opine that a more targeted strategy is needed to get these migrants come forward and not escaping from mass screening, and to eventually give each one of them vaccine (preferably single dose vaccines like CanSino or Jannsen) and to record their biometrics,” said Chan.